Photographic enlarger apparatus



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July 30, 1957 .1. J; Kusel-1ER PHOTOGRAPHIC ENLARGER APPARATUS ATTORNEY J. J. Kusel-1ER PHOTOGRAPHIC ENLARGER APPARATUS July 3o, 1957 4 Sheets-smeet -2 Filed sept. 1, 1954 INVEN c/A cur- TOR. /fuswfk Juyu30 1957 J. Kusel-1ER 2,800,833

FHO'I'OGRAPHIC ENLARGER APPARATUS J. J. KUSCHER 'PHO'I'OGRAPI-IIClA ENLARGER APPARATUS July 30, 1957- 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. l, 1954 INVENTOR. dAc/dA/as'c//f/P ATTGRNEY 2,800,833 i Patented' "July: 30, v1 957 PHTUGRAPHIC ENLARGER APPARATUS Jack JQ' KuscherfiWstportLlConn.,"assignor lto Charles "-'Iieseler Gompauy, Newark, N-J., a partnership Application September 1,1-954, Serial No. 453,596

4 Claims. (Cl. 88-24) The invention relates to photographic enlarger appa- 'ratussuitable for use by amateur; professional andindusvtrialphotographers.

It has for an object to provide an enlarger apparatus Iin which -the conventional exposed spring or weight counterbalancing means for theenlarger head is' eliminated.

- A'further object of the inventiony is to provide a novel H'and Vrgidrtype of supporting structure for the housing and drive portion of the enlarger.

A still further object of theinvention is to provide a mounting uarrangement for the enlarger head whereby `vl|`fractional enlargements are facilitated andy without disturbing the easel position; also, whereby the enlarger head is readily adjustable to a horizontal position for effecting enlargements which exceed the baseboard size, as in the production of murals, etc.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby the enlarger head is raised and lowered automatically and at a predetermined speed.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel driving means for adjusting the enlarger head vertically along its supporting structure.

In carrying out the invention, provision is made to mount the conventional enlarger head, embodying a carriage member and lamp housing, in a manner which will insure greater rigidity of the apparatus by supporting the said head on the baseboard through a triangular truss framing; also, by providing cross-bracing of said framing. A pair of carriage bars or tubes support t-he said carriage member head for both lateral and rotational movement thereon so that fractional enlargements may be made and the enlarger apparatus utilized in a horizontal position for effecting enlargements which exceed the baseboard size.

The drive arrangement for vertical displacement of the enlarger head is such ythat no counterbalancing means is required, the retention of the head being secured through a novel arrangement of gearing which includes also the means for positioning mechanically the enlarger head vertically while allowing as well of lateral adjustment thereof and adjustment to the horizontal position.

The nature of the invention, however, will best be understood when described in connection wit-h the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view (partly in vertical section) of the novel apparatus; and shows also, in broken lines, the enlarger head tilted to a horizontal position.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view showing also, in broken lines, the enlarger head adjusted laterally.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view, with portions in vertical section, of the carriage structure for support* ing the enlarger head; and shows also the manner of mounting said carriage structure in the supporting framing and of driving it relatively thereto.

Fig. 4 is a similar rear elevational View of the carriage structure and of the enlarger head frame; and Fig.

5 is a side -elevation vof `thelatten-detached from the carriage.

Fig: 6 is a vertical section of the drivingV means for the"carriage;and "Fig, 7' is atransverse section, taken onthe line 747," Fig.- 6l of the dra-wings; and looking in the direction-of the arrows.

^ Referring to Figsl 1v Vland 2lof thedrawings, 10 desig- Anates atbaseboard or-otherl suitable support member for the novel'fenlargerf a'pparat'uswhich` is carried on a frame 11 shown as of an inverted- U-shape channel 'ofwhich the two lateral elements 12 and 13 are vertically inv'clined and aifordffguide"meansV and--are 'secured arigidly `at ktheir respective lowerV ends vto `the baseboard. preferred to- -tilt Ithe/"said-'fr-amer forwardly in mounting It is it on the-basebo'ard' andthus increase the coverage area in effecting enlargements. A pairof-.strut elements 14, j15 connect saidframefwith'thefbaseboard at the front and further brace elements"16,17-extend between the lateral elements to reinforce'rsaid frame at the rear,

'thereby insuringrextreme rigidityin'the operation of the enlarger.

The enlarger head'i'20' may comprise the conventional bellows(A 21'andr'lamp'thouse'l 22. These are, however, supported bythe frame'in` a'- novel manner through a `carriageiZS sotas'totmake the headd adjustable for opera tioneitherfinV af verticalorrhorizontal plane Aas 4may be required. --The said headylfurthermorefis mounted for lateral adjustrnentfandthe carriage supports thedriving means indicated at 24, 'for effecting vertical adjustment of said carriage. These driving means serve also to unite the carriage with frame 11.

Thus, reference being had to Fig. 3, the carriage 23 is shown as constructed of a pair of parallel tubes 25, 26 which are disposed between the lateral elements 12, 13 of the frame, said tubes at their opposite ends being connected together by brackets 27, 28 which carry respective rollers 29, 30 and 29', 30 adapted to ride on the bottom and sides, respectively, of the corresponding channeled lateral elements 12, 13. The lowermost tube 26 of this carriage has mounted coaxially therein for rotation a shaft 31 extending at its opposite ends through and beyond the corresponding brackets 27, 28 to carry at its respective ends pinions 32 and 33. The latter are adapted to engage the teeth of corresponding racks 34, 35 secured in the bottom of the channeled lateral frame elements to reciprocate the carriage vertically on the frame 11. This engagement serves also to support the carriage and retain it in its adjusted position, more especially since the drive shaft 36, operated from the electrically driven motor 37, Fig. 6, lthrough belt 38 bears a worm 39 which engages a worin wheel 40 on the pinion shaft 31.

By this expedient, the carriage will remain stationary in any adjusted location vertically to which it has been brought in operating the motor 37. This is controlled electrically through a manually operable switch 45 mounted externally on the driving mechanism housing 46; or, it may be adjusted directly through a hand wheel 45. The said switch, moreover, is designed to engage limit stops 47, 48 projecting outwardly from one of the lateral frame elements, as the element 11, to prevent overrunning of the carriage. It is preferred, also, to mount or otherwise provide a suitably graduated scale between the said stops, as by securing a graduated plate 49 to the said frame element.

The enlarger head 20 is frictionally mounted on its carriage so that it may be adjusted laterally (in a horizontal plane) along the same in either direction to facilitate the making of fractional enlargements. Also, it may be rotated on the carriage through an angle of to a horizontal location (as is indicated by the broken lines, Fig. 1 of the drawings) in order to accommodate it to enlargements of sizes beyond the normal scope of the enlarger.

To this end, the frame of enlarger head 20, which is normally retained on the upper tube 25 in the vertical plane through contact of the lower end of an arm extension 50 of the sleeve portion 51 of the enlarger head frame, is provided with an additional arm 52 pivoted at its lower end to the lower end of arm extension 50. At its upper end arm 52 terminates in a hook or engaging portion 53 which is designed to be juxtaposed to and engage about the lower tube 26, when rotated in the direction of the arrow, Figs. 1 and 5, to sustain the enlarger head in a horizontal plane, as is indicated by the broken line, Fig. 1 of the drawings.

I claim:

1. Photographic enlarger apparatus for both vertical and horizontal operation, comprising a supporting frame aording a pair of vertically disposed lateral guide elements, each of which is provided with a rack; a carriage member; driving means supported by the carriage member, and an irreversible worm and worm Wheel transmission actuated thereby including a horizontally disposed drive shaft passing through the carriage member and rotatable by the driving means; pinions carried by said shaft at its opposite ends engaging corresponding racks to reciprocate vertically the carriage member along the supporting frame; an enlarger head mounted on the carriage member to move vertically therewith and being slidable along the same for lateral adjustment, and rockable thereon from a vertical plane to a horizontal plane; and means to hold the enlarger head in the horizontal location when the same is rocked thereto.

2. Photographic enlarger apparatus according to claim l, wherein the means to Ihold the enlarger head in the horizontal plane is self-engaging with the carriage member.

3. Photographic enlarger apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the carriage member is located between said guide elements and includes a pair of parallel, vertically displaced support elements, at least one of which is tubular andthe drive' shaft passes through the tubular support element.

4. Photographic enlarger apparatus according to claim 1, wherein manually operable means are provided for actuating the drive shaft and include externally accessible means connected therewith.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,606,955 Montigny Nov. 16, 1926 1,724,866 Allison Aug. 13, 1929 1,758,240 Roach May 13, 1930 1,787,662 Boedicker Jan. 6, 1931 1,977,453 Petit Oct. 16, 1934 2,090,270 Swanson Aug. 17, 1937 2,344,558 Moore Mar. 21, 1944 2,346,490 Huebner Apr. 11, 1944 2,492,898 Siekermann Dec. 27, 1949 2,655,334 Debrie Oct. 13, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 399,408 Germany July 22, 1924 25,898 Finland July 5, 1953 

